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Downtown Jewish Life and The 14th Street Y present PAUSE/PLAY, an innovative Saturday afternoon of Shabbat programming at the 14th Street Y, 344 E. 14th Street, NYC on Saturday, December 17, 2016 from 2-6pm, with a community concert at 5pm. Tickets are available at http://www.14streety.org/main/pause-play. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children and $35 for a family tickets in advance; and $15 for adults, $10 for children, and $45 for a family ticket for up to five on the day of the event (free for members).

Educational Alliance CEO Alan van Capelle will host a discussion, Preparing Ourselves for Civic Agency: Think National, Act Local, from 3-4pm at the 14th Street Y. In the aftermath of the 2016 election cycle, many have been asking how to be more effective advocates, organizers, and upstanding members of our society. Educational Alliance CEO and renowned change-maker Alan van Capelle will discuss how attendees can organize friends and neighbors to turn shared concerns into effective action. Learn how to be civically involved in this city and state to make an impact in the current political reality.

“Our community includes immigrants of many heritages, people of who practice many religions including Judaism, Islam and Christianity, and many people who receive assistance from the federal government,” said Rabbi Shira Koch Epstein, Executive Director of the 14th Street Y. “Given the divisiveness in our nation during and just after the election, and the rise in hate speech and hate crimes in our city in the past few weeks, our members have asked how they can learn to be ‘upstanders’ who care for and provide a sense of welcome to all of their neighbors, and to be civically engaged members of the community who know how to be advocates for the issues that concern them the most. We are working to meet that need.”

Alan van Capelle is a nationally recognized leader in the field of civil rights and social justice. As CEO of Educational Alliance, he leads a network of community centers offering social, educational, cultural and recreational services, programs, and events to the diverse population of downtown Manhattan. Selected by the Jewish Daily Forward as one of the “Forward 50,” Mr. van Capelle catapulted Bend the Arc: A Jewish Partnership for Justice into the forefront of the national progressive landscape and represented the American Jewish community in his speech at the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington. Also chosen by the New York Observer as one of New York’s top “power gays,” Mr. van Capelle won major victories for LGBT rights as Executive Director of the Empire State Pride Agenda.

PAUSE/PLAY events feature activities for the whole family. From 2-6pm, PAUSE/PLAY invites attendees to hit the pause button in their busy lives and experience all that the downtown community has to offer – from games and art programming with the 14th Street Y’s New Country Day Camp, to mixing holiday cocktails, candle-making, yoga, family swim, and Adult Learning with Lab/Shul. There’s something for everyone. Childcare is also provided!

PAUSE/PLAY will also feature PJ Play! – story-time with National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene, who will bring to life The Golem’s Latkes by Eric Kimmel. Interactive craft project and snacks included! Join Shira Klein, Naomi Less and more of the Lab/Shul Ritual Team to warm up your souls for Hanukkah with live music, storytelling, intention and imagination at SPARK! Havdalah & Hanukkah Concert with Lab/Shul. Say goodbye to Shabbat and welcome in a new week with Edible Havdallah programming by Town & Village Synagogue. www.14streety.org/PausePlay

PAUSE/PLAY is free for 14th Street Y members, but reservations are recommended. If you are interested in becoming a member of the 14th Street Y you can learn more here http://www.14streety.org/membership/join-membership-benefits

PAUSE/PLAY is generously funded by the UJA Federation of New York, the Covenant Foundation, and the Harold Grinspoon Foundation.

Downtown Jewish Life experiences welcome people of every background, identity, age, family configuration and religious affiliation (or none), who are interested in finding meaning, values, and community inspired by Jewish sensibilities.

Educational Alliance, a 126-year-old New York institution, is a vibrant, dynamic organization serving New Yorkers from all walks of life. From its beginnings as a place for Jewish immigrants to learn how to acclimate to the U.S., it serves everyone regardless of the language they speak, where they come from, or their socioeconomic status.To date, they have helped 4 million New Yorkers. Driven by Jewish values and the belief that learning is a lifelong process, they strive to create programs and services that embrace innovation and build community. They have re-defined how to serve a community, offering a wide variety of engaging and educational opportunities for everyone in each stage of life. They are a living laboratory, piloting and investigating ways to solve problems, create a better society, and advocate for the vulnerable – believing that arts & culture, education, health & wellness, and social services can build bright futures.

About The 14th Street Y
The 14th Street Y is a thriving and dynamic community center located in the heart of the East Village. Our members have access to over 50 fitness classes per week, lap and family swim times, childcare, pick-up games in our basketball gymnasium and a fitness center filled with a full range of cardio and weight equipment. Membership at the 14th Street Y also gives you access to arts and culture programming, www.14streety.org/ arts+culture as well as early registration and discounts on all 14th Street Y classes and programs like camps, preschool, and our prelude to preschool programs; Two by Two and Now We are Three. www.14streety.org.

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